Binder



March 31, 1942. 1. SPINNER 2,277,834 I BINDER Filed March 11, 1940 Patented Mar. 31, 1942 Isidore Spinner, Chicago IIL, assignor to Plastic Binding Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application March 11, 1940, Serial No. 323,437

f 9 Claims.

This invention relates to binders, particularly binders of the type such as shown in my application Serial No. 289,895, filed August 12, 1939.

Binders embodying the present invention comprise, in general, a comb-shaped structure of thermo-plasti'c material such asCelluloid, pyroxylin, or the like, or preferably a thermo-plastic material which is slow burning, and non-explosive, such as, for instance, the material known in the trade as "Vinolitej The material for forming binders in accordance sheets and then stamped or cut to form a comb with the present invention is first formed in comprising a continuous back portion from which acter wherein each loop comprises a substantially fiat'part and a substantially curved part. In one embodiment of the. present invention the flat part constitutes the exposed back of the binder.

.fingers may be adhesively secured to the back to form closed loops.

Ihe attainmentof the above and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a book bound in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a binder such as is used in connection with the book of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the binder of Figure'2;

Figure 4 is a-sectional view corresponding to Figure .3 and showing the binder after it has been inserted through a stack of pages;

the binder of Figure 3;

By reason of its flatness it affords a convenient' surface upon which the title of the book or catalogue may be imprinted or upon which other information or advertising matter may be im; printed. In another embodiment of the present. invention the back constitutes the curved part of the loops while each tooth has a flat part for receiving the pages to be bound together. In

such construction the portion of each loop that extends through one of the aligned perforations in a stack of pages to be bound is straight, rather than curved. As a result, the opposite end of the book or stack of pages bound together is straight, thus presenting a neat and artistic appearance as distinguished from the usual ring type binding arrangement in which that edge of the stack or bowed outwardly.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a binder of the above mentioned character which may be manufactured and sold as a finished article of manufacture to be thereafter inserted into a stack of pages to bind them together. The loops of the binder may be opened I of pages which is opposite the binder is curved Figure. 5 is a fragmentary view of one side of Figure 6 is a view taken at right angles to Figure 5;

Figure 7 illustrates the spreading of the binder of Figure 1 for adhering the ends of the loops to the back;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view 11- lustrating another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 9 is a sectional view corresponding to Figure 4 illustrating the binder of Figure 8 in position and Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of another embodiment of the invention.

Reference may now be had more particularly to the construction illustrated in Figure 1. 'A I book or stack of pages I, having aligned perforations 2 adjacent one, edge of the stack of pages, is bound together by a binder 3, which binder has a back portion 4 and a plurality of fingers or loops 5 integral with the back and each curled to form a straight portion 6 and with the free ends 1 of the fingers overlapping the inside of the curved back 4. In the finished book the ends 1 of the respective loops or fingers 5 of the binder are on the inside of and press against the back 4 of the binder. The fingers may be adhesively secured to the inside of the back 4 in a manner to be more fully described as this description proceeds.

The binder 3 is formed of a flat sheet of ther fingers for forming the loops 5 extend, said back joining all of the fingers' The blank from which the binder is formed may be of the shape'illusrated in my co-pending application, Serial No. 289,895, above'referred to, to which reference maybe had. In the preferred embodiment it s of a slow burning, non-explosive thermo-plastic material which is not appreciably affected by weather conditions and does not become brittle or cracked even after years of use. A suitable and preferred material for this purpose is the material known as Vinolite. The material is curled to the shape illustrated in Figure 2, w th the back and a portion of the fing rs 5 lying on the arc of a circle and a portion of the fingers, indicated at 6, being substantially fiat. In the curled binder, before the same has been inserted in a book, the ends 1 of the fingers are on the outside of the back 4. There may he a very slight space between the ends 1 and the back 4, as illustrated in Figure 3. The ends I of the fingers do not press inwardly of the loop agamst the outside of the back. Thereafter all of the fingers or loops 5 are opened, within the elastic limits of the material and allowed to recurl, belng uided, in their recurling action, to pass through the aligned perforations 2 in the stack of pages I, as illustrated in Figure 4. As the fingers recurl, the ends 1 thereof are forced inwardly so that instead of lyingon the outside of the back the ends of the fingers .now lie on the inside of the back. The ends 1 of the fingers, having been pushed inwardly, now exert a spring pressure against the inner surface of the back 4. If desired, and this is optional, they may be adhesively secured to the inside of the back 4; This may be done by spreading the binder and then coating the inside of the back or the outside of the ends of the'fingers or loops 5 with a suitable adherent. The adherent is,.preferably, one that includes a volatile base which is a solvent for the material of the binder. In the case of a Vinolite binder one suitable material to be used for adhering the teeth to the back is vinol chloride mixed with vinol acetate. This material is painted or otherwise applied to one or both of the adherent used is preferably a volatile substance which acts as a solvent for'the material of the binder. I

It is to be noted that in the book of Figure 1,

whether the ends 1 of the respective fingers or loopsare or are not adhered to the back 4, the end edge 9 of the stack of pages is strai ht and at right angles to the plane of the sheets. The oppcsite edge of the stack of pages is also perfectly straight and at'right angles to the plane of the surface of the sheets. This results because that portion of the fingers which passes through the perforations 2 of the stack of pages is straight, as indicated at 6; rather than curved.

In Figures 8 and 9 I have shown another embodiment of the present invention. The structure here illustrated is formed of the same type.

of material and of stock of the same initial shape as that of the binder previously described, In this construction the back 4 is flat and the finears extend from the back 4' and are curved.

The curvature is preferably along the arc of a circle and preferably constitutes slightly more than half of a circle, although the invention is not limited to this precise curvature. 4' is preferably fiat for its full length. In the curled binder, and before the same has been inserted in a book, the ends 1' of the fingers are fiat and overlie the outside of the fiat back 4' in the same manner as the ends 1 overlie the back 4 in the construction illustrated in Figure 3, and preferably do not press against the back 4'.

To insert the binder of Figure 8 in a book, all of the fingers 1 are uncurled, within their elastic limit, and then inserted through aligned Derforations 2 of a stack of pages. Thereafter the fingers are permitted to uncurl under their natural resiliency and, in recurling, the ends of the fingers are forced on the inside of the binder so that they bear against the inside of the back 4' as do the ends I of the binder previously described. This construction is illustrated in Figure 9. Thereafter the binder may be spread to permit coating of the inner surface of the back 4' Or of the radially outermost surfaces of the fingers l with a suitable adherent, as heretofore explained, to cause the fingers to be permanently surface of the back 4 retains the ends of the fingers in intimate and firm pressure contact with the back while the adherent is setting.

The back 4' constitutes the exposed back of the bound book. Since this back is fiat it constitutes a suitable surface upon which the title of the book or other information may be inscribed. This is done preferably before the hinder has been curled.

While I have herein shown an arrangement wherein the ends of the fingers or loops 5 overlap the adjacent part of the back by an appreciable amount, this is not an indispensable part of the present invention. The overlap of the ends 1 or I with respect to the back may be very slight in those instances where the fingers are to be adhered to the back, since the adhesion of the fingers to the back prevents opening of the binder and consequent unintentional escape or loss of a page. It is also to be noted that the loop is of a thickness or diameter somewhat greater than the thickness of the stack of pages to be bound. By reason of this provision it is possible for the book to be opened flat at anypa e.

If desired the fingers of the binder of Figure 4 or of Figure 9 may be made somewhat longer than shown so as to constitute a complete D extend tangentially of the loop. This is illusr shaped loop, and the back can be bent so as to trated in Figure 10 ,wherein the fingers form closed loops 5, which loops are preferably D shaped but may be circular or oval, and wherein the ends l5 of the loops are adhered to the part of the loop overlapped thereby, and wherein the back 4' which joins the loops extends tangentially of the binder. The stack of pages is indicated at I6, and a cover is indicated at H. In Figure 10 I have shown thefiat parts 6 of the D shaped loops extending through the perforations in the stack of pages l0, and the curved parts l8 on the outside of the binding. This relationship may be reversed if desired, so that the part 5 is curved and the exposed part l8, that joins with the back 4' is fiat. This amounts to turning the back 4 of Figure 4 horizontally to the right,

The backextending the free ends of the fingers to form closed loops, and using the curved part of the D shaped loops to hold the pages of the book 1.

In compliance with the requirements of. the patent statutes I have here shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention. It is, however, to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction here shown, the same being merely illustrative of the principles of the invention.

What I consider new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An article of manufacture comprising a binder for insertion into a stack of sheets provided with aligned perforations along one of their edges, said binder being of resilient material and including a back and a plurality of teeth integral with the back and extending from one longitudinal edge thereof, said teeth being curved to constitute a plurality of closed loops each extending through more than 180, a part of the surface of each tooth of the closed loop being flattened to lie in a plane substantially at right to be flexed, within their elastic limit, out of their normal positions for receiving the stack of sheets between them and automatically recurled under their own resiliency to pass through the aligned perforations, said back projecting so as to lie in a plane substantially tangent to the loop and parallel to the plane of an adjacent sheet.

5. An article of manufacture comprising a binder for insertion into a stack of sheets proconstitute a plurality of closed loops adapted to.

be flexed, within their elastic limit, out of their normal positions for receiving the stack of sheets between them and automatically recurled under their own resiliency to pass through the aligned perforations, the fingers of the closed loop beingflattened to lie in a plane substantially at right angles to the planes of the stack of sheets and parallel to the axis of the binder.

' 6. A book of perforated sheets provided with aligned perforations along one of their edges and a binder for said sheets, said binder being of plastic elastic material and including a back and a plurality of teeth integral with the back and extending from one longitudinal edge thereof, said teeth being curved to constitute a plurality of loops passed through the aligned perforations to bind the sheets, the free end of each tooth overlapping the loop and curved along the same closed loops the ends of which overlap the back and are adapted to be flexed, within their elastic limit, out of their normal positions for receiving the stack of sheets between them and automatically recurled under their own resiliency to pass through the aligned perforations, said back constituting a part of the closed loops projecting so as to lie in a plane substantially at right angles to the planes of the stack of sheets.

from only one longitudinal edge thereof, said teeth being curved to' constitute a plurality of" closed loops overlapping the back and adapted to be fiexed, within their elastic limit, out of their normal positions for receiving the stack of sheets between them and automatically recurled under their own resiliency to pass through the aligned perforations, said back constituting a part of the closed loops projecting so as to lie in a plane substantially at right angles to the planes of the stack of sheets and lying on the outside of the bound book and of a width approximately the diameter of the binder.

4. An article of manufacture comprising a binder for insertion into a stack of sheets provided with aligned perforations along one of their edges, said binder being of resilient material precurvature as the rest of the teeth, the back of the binder projecting tangentially from the periphery of the loop, and the free ends of the teeth being adhered to the portion of the loop overlapped thereby.

7. A book of perforated sheets having a binding comprising a backbone having a plurality of fingers extending therefrom, said fingers being generally ring-shaped and formed to extend through the perforations of said sheets, and said backbone lying in a plane extending tangentially of the rings defined by said fingers.

8. A binding device comprising a comb-shaped member having a backbone and a plurality of integral fingers extending therefrom, said fingers being shaped to provide a plurality of rings lying in parallel planes perpendicular to said backbone, said backbone lying in a plane. tangentially to the rings at their junction with said backbone.

9. An article of manufacture comprising a binder for insertion into a stack of sheets provided with aligned perforations along one of their edges, said binder being of plastic resilient material preformed to substantially the ultimate shape it is to have after complete insertion into the stack and including a back and a plurality of teeth integral with the back and extending from one longitudinal edge thereof, said teeth being ing beyond the back and in contact with the adjacent part of the loop along the same curvature as the rest of the tooth, each loop extending through an are greater than 360, said back being on the outside of said loops and lying in a plane substantially tangent to said loops.

ISIDORE SPINNER. 

